{"id":1881798,"date":"2026-04-14T10:00:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T07:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1881798"},"modified":"2026-04-14T10:00:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T07:00:16","slug":"ai-weiwei-on-censorship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1881798","title":{"rendered":"Ai Weiwei on Censorship"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><main class=\"gh-main\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"gh-article post tag-daily-newsletter tag-newsletter no-image\">\n<header class=\"gh-article-header gh-canvas\">\n<p>                Daily Newsletter<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"gh-article-title is-title\">Ai Weiwei on Censorship<\/h1>\n<p class=\"gh-article-excerpt is-body\">A thought-provoking book by the dissident artist, Trump&#8217;s latest offensive meme, and artist-activist Celeste Dupuy-Spencer dies at 46.<\/p>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta\">\n<div class=\"gh-article-author-image instapaper_ignore\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-profile-image\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/size\/w160\/2025\/11\/hyperallergic-favicon-d-blank-r-g-s-500.png\" alt=\"Hyperallergic\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta-wrapper\">\n<h4 class=\"gh-article-author-name\">Hyperallergic<\/h4>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta-content\"><time class=\"gh-article-meta-date\" datetime=\"2026-04-14\">April 14, 2026<\/time><span class=\"gh-article-meta-length\"><span class=\"bull\">\u2014<\/span> 4 min read<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<section class=\"gh-content gh-canvas is-body\">\n<p>After posting memes depicting him as a Roman warrior, king, and pontiff, Trump decided to upgrade himself to the rare status of son of god. There&#8217;s only one place left to go up from there, and we all know he&#8217;s thinking about it. According to religion scholar Emma Cieslik, this latest Trump jest rubbed his Catholic base the wrong way, let alone the fact that he got the wound wrong. More about that below.<\/p>\n<p>Also today: Read my review of Ai Weiwei&#8217;s thought-provoking new book <em>On Censorship<\/em>, John Yau on Steve DiBenedetto&#8217;s cryptic paintings, and Aaron Short&#8217;s obituary of artist and activist Celeste Dupuy-Spencer, who passed away last week at just 46.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, please join us this Wednesday from 3\u20134pm ET for a virtual conversation between photographer Tonika Lewis Johnson and Senior Editor Valentina Di Liscia. Johnson&#8217;s remarkable work on racial segregation in Chicago&#8217;s South Side won her the 2025 MacArthur \u201cGenius Grant.\u201d Hope to see you there.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u2014Hakim Bishara, editor-in-chief <\/em><\/p>\n<hr>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/04\/on-censorship-cover-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Cover of <\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">On Censorship<\/em><\/i><span> by Ai Weiwei (Thames &amp; Hudson, 2026)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"ai-weiwei-and-the-art-of-keeping-your-mouth-shut\">Ai Weiwei and the Art of Keeping Your Mouth Shut<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cOn Censorship\u201d offers timely reflections from the dissident artist, whose entire life and career have been marked by state persecution. | Hakim Bishara<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive  kg-cta-has-img  \" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>MEMBER EVENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/04\/jeremy_frey_2025__5-3.jpg\" alt=\"CTA Image\" data-image-dimensions=\"1200x676\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><b><strong>Jeremy Frey: The Generational Impact of a New Artistic Path<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>Join us on April 29 for a conversation with artist and recent MacArthur Fellowship winner Jeremy Frey and Hyperallergic Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                            Learn more<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"news\">News<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/04\/JPEG-image-4.jpeg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"676\"><figcaption><span>Criselda Vasquez\u2019s parents posing in front of the artist\u2019s painting \u201cThe New American Gothic\u201d (2017) (courtesy the artist)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>ICE has detains the father and portrait muse of California-based Chicana artist Criselda Vasquez, painter of \u201cThe New American Gothic.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Gagosian\u2019s forthcoming exhibition\u00a0featuring Marcel Duchamp opens April 25 in a new space in Upper Manhattan. <\/li>\n<li>Celeste Dupuy-Spencer, known for standing up for human rights in both her paintings and her advocacy, dies at 46.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive    kg-cta-centered\" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><span>See more of our coverage in your search results.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                            Add Hyperallergic on Google  \u2197<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"opinion\">Opinion<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/04\/trump-as-jesus.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\"><figcaption><span>Trump\u2019s now-deleted Truth Social post contained an AI-generated image of him as Jesus (screenshot <\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"trump-plays-christ-and-gets-the-wound-wrong\">Trump Plays Christ and Gets the Wound Wrong<\/h3>\n<p>The president\u2019s latest attempt to fashion himself as an American messiah is costing him some of his most loyal Catholic supporters. | Emma Cieslik<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"from-our-critics\">From Our Critics<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/04\/image-37-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1465\" height=\"824\"><figcaption><span>Detail of Steve DiBenedetto, \u201cQuip Gland\u201d (2025\u201326) courtesy the artist and Derek Eller Gallery)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"steve-dibenedetto%E2%80%99s-cosmic-sense-of-the-absurd\">Steve DiBenedetto\u2019s Cosmic Sense of the Absurd<\/h3>\n<p>He conceives of a painting as a search for a functional structure, a talisman that can aid viewers amid our collective sense of traumatic crisis. | John Yau <\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-grey kg-cta-minimal    \" data-layout=\"minimal\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>FEATURED OPPORTUNITY<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><b><strong>Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity \u2013 Visual Arts Thematic Residencies<\/strong><\/b><br \/><span>Develop your work in a Visual Arts residency at Banff Centre. Access exceptional studios, mentorship from leading faculty, and a vibrant artistic community in the Canadian Rockies. The application fee is $65 ($35 for applicants who identify as Indigenous). Read more on\u00a0<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Deadlines: May 6, 2026 (Visual Arts Thematic \u2013 On Other Archives), June 3, 2026 (Visual Arts Thematic \u2013 Future Figurations) |\u00a0<\/span><span>banffcentre.ca<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>See more in\u00a0this month\u2019s list of opportunities\u00a0for artists, writers, and art workers!<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"member-comment\">Member Comment<\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;jbass&#8221; on Lisa Yin Zhang\u2019s \u201cMarcel Duchamp Was the Messenger of History\u201d:<\/p>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\n<div class=\"kg-callout-text\">For Duchamp, art was mental. He wanted to send his viewers into the fourth dimension, the realm of art, the realm of infinity. That\u2019s why his work feels esoteric. Nude Descending was part of this trajectory. Moving from painting on canvas to glass was the next step. The 3-D \u00c9tant donn\u00e9s was the last. None of them are \u201cmasterpieces.\u201d That wasn\u2019t his aim.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"from-the-archive\">From the Archive<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/04\/aww_study_of_perspective_16_media.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"676\"><figcaption><span>Ai Weiwei, \u201cStudy of Perspective &#8211; Reichstag, Berlin\u201d (1999) (courtesy Ai Weiwei Studio)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"what-i-wish-i-had-known-about-germany-earlier\">What I Wish I Had Known About Germany Earlier<\/h3>\n<p>A German newspaper commissioned an article from me but then refused to publish it. | Ai Weiwei<\/p>\n<ul class=\"post-tags\">\n<li>\n                        Daily Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<li>\n                        Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/main><\/p>\n<article class=\"gh-article post tag-daily-newsletter tag-newsletter no-image\">\n<header class=\"gh-article-header gh-canvas\">\n<p>                Daily Newsletter<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"gh-article-title is-title\">Ai Weiwei on Censorship<\/h1>\n<p class=\"gh-article-excerpt is-body\">A thought-provoking book by the dissident artist, Trump&#8217;s latest offensive meme, and artist-activist Celeste Dupuy-Spencer dies at 46.<\/p>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta\">\n<div class=\"gh-article-author-image instapaper_ignore\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-profile-image\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/size\/w160\/2025\/11\/hyperallergic-favicon-d-blank-r-g-s-500.png\" alt=\"Hyperallergic\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta-wrapper\">\n<h4 class=\"gh-article-author-name\">Hyperallergic<\/h4>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta-content\"><time class=\"gh-article-meta-date\" datetime=\"2026-04-14\">April 14, 2026<\/time><span class=\"gh-article-meta-length\"><span class=\"bull\">\u2014<\/span> 4 min read<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<section class=\"gh-content gh-canvas is-body\">\n<p>After posting memes depicting him as a Roman warrior, king, and pontiff, Trump decided to upgrade himself to the rare status of son of god. There&#8217;s only one place left to go up from there, and we all know he&#8217;s thinking about it. According to religion scholar Emma Cieslik, this latest Trump jest rubbed his Catholic base the wrong way, let alone the fact that he got the wound wrong. More about that below.<\/p>\n<p>Also today: Read my review of Ai Weiwei&#8217;s thought-provoking new book <em>On Censorship<\/em>, John Yau on Steve DiBenedetto&#8217;s cryptic paintings, and Aaron Short&#8217;s obituary of artist and activist Celeste Dupuy-Spencer, who passed away last week at just 46.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, please join us this Wednesday from 3\u20134pm ET for a virtual conversation between photographer Tonika Lewis Johnson and Senior Editor Valentina Di Liscia. Johnson&#8217;s remarkable work on racial segregation in Chicago&#8217;s South Side won her the 2025 MacArthur \u201cGenius Grant.\u201d Hope to see you there.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u2014Hakim Bishara, editor-in-chief <\/em><\/p>\n<hr>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/04\/on-censorship-cover-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Cover of <\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">On Censorship<\/em><\/i><span> by Ai Weiwei (Thames &amp; Hudson, 2026)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"ai-weiwei-and-the-art-of-keeping-your-mouth-shut\">Ai Weiwei and the Art of Keeping Your Mouth Shut<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cOn Censorship\u201d offers timely reflections from the dissident artist, whose entire life and career have been marked by state persecution. | Hakim Bishara<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive  kg-cta-has-img  \" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>MEMBER EVENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/04\/jeremy_frey_2025__5-3.jpg\" alt=\"CTA Image\" data-image-dimensions=\"1200x676\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><b><strong>Jeremy Frey: The Generational Impact of a New Artistic Path<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>Join us on April 29 for a conversation with artist and recent MacArthur Fellowship winner Jeremy Frey and Hyperallergic Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                            Learn more<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"news\">News<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/04\/JPEG-image-4.jpeg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"676\"><figcaption><span>Criselda Vasquez\u2019s parents posing in front of the artist\u2019s painting \u201cThe New American Gothic\u201d (2017) (courtesy the artist)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>ICE has detains the father and portrait muse of California-based Chicana artist Criselda Vasquez, painter of \u201cThe New American Gothic.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Gagosian\u2019s forthcoming exhibition\u00a0featuring Marcel Duchamp opens April 25 in a new space in Upper Manhattan. <\/li>\n<li>Celeste Dupuy-Spencer, known for standing up for human rights in both her paintings and her advocacy, dies at 46.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive    kg-cta-centered\" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><span>See more of our coverage in your search results.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                            Add Hyperallergic on Google  \u2197<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"opinion\">Opinion<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/04\/trump-as-jesus.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\"><figcaption><span>Trump\u2019s now-deleted Truth Social post contained an AI-generated image of him as Jesus (screenshot <\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"trump-plays-christ-and-gets-the-wound-wrong\">Trump Plays Christ and Gets the Wound Wrong<\/h3>\n<p>The president\u2019s latest attempt to fashion himself as an American messiah is costing him some of his most loyal Catholic supporters. | Emma Cieslik<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"from-our-critics\">From Our Critics<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/04\/image-37-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1465\" height=\"824\"><figcaption><span>Detail of Steve DiBenedetto, \u201cQuip Gland\u201d (2025\u201326) courtesy the artist and Derek Eller Gallery)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"steve-dibenedetto%E2%80%99s-cosmic-sense-of-the-absurd\">Steve DiBenedetto\u2019s Cosmic Sense of the Absurd<\/h3>\n<p>He conceives of a painting as a search for a functional structure, a talisman that can aid viewers amid our collective sense of traumatic crisis. | John Yau <\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-grey kg-cta-minimal    \" data-layout=\"minimal\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>FEATURED OPPORTUNITY<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><b><strong>Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity \u2013 Visual Arts Thematic Residencies<\/strong><\/b><br \/><span>Develop your work in a Visual Arts residency at Banff Centre. Access exceptional studios, mentorship from leading faculty, and a vibrant artistic community in the Canadian Rockies. The application fee is $65 ($35 for applicants who identify as Indigenous). Read more on\u00a0<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Deadlines: May 6, 2026 (Visual Arts Thematic \u2013 On Other Archives), June 3, 2026 (Visual Arts Thematic \u2013 Future Figurations) |\u00a0<\/span><span>banffcentre.ca<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>See more in\u00a0this month\u2019s list of opportunities\u00a0for artists, writers, and art workers!<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"member-comment\">Member Comment<\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;jbass&#8221; on Lisa Yin Zhang\u2019s \u201cMarcel Duchamp Was the Messenger of History\u201d:<\/p>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\n<div class=\"kg-callout-text\">For Duchamp, art was mental. He wanted to send his viewers into the fourth dimension, the realm of art, the realm of infinity. That\u2019s why his work feels esoteric. Nude Descending was part of this trajectory. Moving from painting on canvas to glass was the next step. The 3-D \u00c9tant donn\u00e9s was the last. None of them are \u201cmasterpieces.\u201d That wasn\u2019t his aim.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"from-the-archive\">From the Archive<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/04\/aww_study_of_perspective_16_media.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"676\"><figcaption><span>Ai Weiwei, \u201cStudy of Perspective &#8211; Reichstag, Berlin\u201d (1999) (courtesy Ai Weiwei Studio)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"what-i-wish-i-had-known-about-germany-earlier\">What I Wish I Had Known About Germany Earlier<\/h3>\n<p>A German newspaper commissioned an article from me but then refused to publish it. | Ai Weiwei<\/p>\n<ul class=\"post-tags\">\n<li>\n                        Daily Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<li>\n                        Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n<section class=\"gh-content gh-canvas is-body\">\n<p>After posting memes depicting him as a Roman warrior, king, and pontiff, Trump decided to upgrade himself to the rare status of son of god. There&#8217;s only one place left to go up from there, and we all know he&#8217;s thinking about it. According to religion scholar Emma Cieslik, this latest Trump jest rubbed his Catholic base the wrong way, let alone the fact that he got the wound wrong. More about that below.<\/p>\n<p>Also today: Read my review of Ai Weiwei&#8217;s thought-provoking new book <em>On Censorship<\/em>, John Yau on Steve DiBenedetto&#8217;s cryptic paintings, and Aaron Short&#8217;s obituary of artist and activist Celeste Dupuy-Spencer, who passed away last week at just 46.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, please join us this Wednesday from 3\u20134pm ET for a virtual conversation between photographer Tonika Lewis Johnson and Senior Editor Valentina Di Liscia. Johnson&#8217;s remarkable work on racial segregation in Chicago&#8217;s South Side won her the 2025 MacArthur \u201cGenius Grant.\u201d Hope to see you there.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u2014Hakim Bishara, editor-in-chief <\/em><\/p>\n<hr>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/04\/on-censorship-cover-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Cover of <\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">On Censorship<\/em><\/i><span> by Ai Weiwei (Thames &amp; Hudson, 2026)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"ai-weiwei-and-the-art-of-keeping-your-mouth-shut\">Ai Weiwei and the Art of Keeping Your Mouth Shut<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cOn Censorship\u201d offers timely reflections from the dissident artist, whose entire life and career have been marked by state persecution. | Hakim Bishara<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive  kg-cta-has-img  \" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>MEMBER EVENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/04\/jeremy_frey_2025__5-3.jpg\" alt=\"CTA Image\" data-image-dimensions=\"1200x676\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><b><strong>Jeremy Frey: The Generational Impact of a New Artistic Path<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>Join us on April 29 for a conversation with artist and recent MacArthur Fellowship winner Jeremy Frey and Hyperallergic Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                            Learn more<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"news\">News<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/04\/JPEG-image-4.jpeg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"676\"><figcaption><span>Criselda Vasquez\u2019s parents posing in front of the artist\u2019s painting \u201cThe New American Gothic\u201d (2017) (courtesy the artist)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>ICE has detains the father and portrait muse of California-based Chicana artist Criselda Vasquez, painter of \u201cThe New American Gothic.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Gagosian\u2019s forthcoming exhibition\u00a0featuring Marcel Duchamp opens April 25 in a new space in Upper Manhattan. <\/li>\n<li>Celeste Dupuy-Spencer, known for standing up for human rights in both her paintings and her advocacy, dies at 46.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive    kg-cta-centered\" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><span>See more of our coverage in your search results.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                            Add Hyperallergic on Google  \u2197<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"opinion\">Opinion<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/04\/trump-as-jesus.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\"><figcaption><span>Trump\u2019s now-deleted Truth Social post contained an AI-generated image of him as Jesus (screenshot <\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"trump-plays-christ-and-gets-the-wound-wrong\">Trump Plays Christ and Gets the Wound Wrong<\/h3>\n<p>The president\u2019s latest attempt to fashion himself as an American messiah is costing him some of his most loyal Catholic supporters. | Emma Cieslik<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"from-our-critics\">From Our Critics<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/04\/image-37-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1465\" height=\"824\"><figcaption><span>Detail of Steve DiBenedetto, \u201cQuip Gland\u201d (2025\u201326) courtesy the artist and Derek Eller Gallery)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"steve-dibenedetto%E2%80%99s-cosmic-sense-of-the-absurd\">Steve DiBenedetto\u2019s Cosmic Sense of the Absurd<\/h3>\n<p>He conceives of a painting as a search for a functional structure, a talisman that can aid viewers amid our collective sense of traumatic crisis. | John Yau <\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-grey kg-cta-minimal    \" data-layout=\"minimal\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>FEATURED OPPORTUNITY<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><b><strong>Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity \u2013 Visual Arts Thematic Residencies<\/strong><\/b><br \/><span>Develop your work in a Visual Arts residency at Banff Centre. Access exceptional studios, mentorship from leading faculty, and a vibrant artistic community in the Canadian Rockies. The application fee is $65 ($35 for applicants who identify as Indigenous). Read more on\u00a0<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Deadlines: May 6, 2026 (Visual Arts Thematic \u2013 On Other Archives), June 3, 2026 (Visual Arts Thematic \u2013 Future Figurations) |\u00a0<\/span><span>banffcentre.ca<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>See more in\u00a0this month\u2019s list of opportunities\u00a0for artists, writers, and art workers!<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"member-comment\">Member Comment<\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;jbass&#8221; on Lisa Yin Zhang\u2019s \u201cMarcel Duchamp Was the Messenger of History\u201d:<\/p>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\n<div class=\"kg-callout-text\">For Duchamp, art was mental. He wanted to send his viewers into the fourth dimension, the realm of art, the realm of infinity. That\u2019s why his work feels esoteric. Nude Descending was part of this trajectory. Moving from painting on canvas to glass was the next step. The 3-D \u00c9tant donn\u00e9s was the last. None of them are \u201cmasterpieces.\u201d That wasn\u2019t his aim.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"from-the-archive\">From the Archive<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/04\/aww_study_of_perspective_16_media.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"676\"><figcaption><span>Ai Weiwei, \u201cStudy of Perspective &#8211; Reichstag, Berlin\u201d (1999) (courtesy Ai Weiwei Studio)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"what-i-wish-i-had-known-about-germany-earlier\">What I Wish I Had Known About Germany Earlier<\/h3>\n<p>A German newspaper commissioned an article from me but then refused to publish it. | Ai Weiwei<\/p>\n<ul class=\"post-tags\">\n<li>\n                        Daily Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<li>\n                        Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<article class=\"gh-card post\">\n<figure class=\"gh-card-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/size\/w600\/2026\/04\/1_Blank-and-Cold-Coffee-Corner.jpg\" alt=\"In Kyoung Chun: Make Room\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gh-card-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"gh-card-title is-title\">In Kyoung Chun: Make Room<\/h3>\n<p class=\"gh-card-excerpt is-body\">Transparent houses, suspended structures, and intimate paintings serve as metaphors for belonging in this exhibition at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"gh-card-meta\"><span class=\"gh-card-author\">The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"gh-card post\">\n<figure class=\"gh-card-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/size\/w600\/2026\/04\/41_Angel-Applicant-Resize-to_-Facebook_Instagram---3000px-W--72dpi--jpg.jpg\" alt=\"Paul Klee: Other Possible Worlds\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gh-card-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"gh-card-title is-title\">Paul Klee: Other Possible Worlds<\/h3>\n<p class=\"gh-card-excerpt is-body\">The first US museum exhibition to focus on the artist\u2019s late work, produced in response to the fascism of the 1930s. On view at the Jewish Museum through July 26, 2026.\n<\/p>\n<footer class=\"gh-card-meta\"><span class=\"gh-card-author\">Jewish Museum<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"gh-card post\">\n<figure class=\"gh-card-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/size\/w600\/2026\/03\/Copy-of-9.jpg\" alt=\"Summer Marathons in Painting and Drawing at the New York Studio School\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gh-card-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"gh-card-title is-title\">Summer Marathons in Painting and Drawing at the New York Studio School<\/h3>\n<p class=\"gh-card-excerpt is-body\">Join an immersive, two-week session and transform your studio practice. Online or in-person.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"gh-card-meta\"><span class=\"gh-card-author\">New York Studio School<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"gh-card post\">\n<figure class=\"gh-card-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/size\/w600\/2026\/03\/033125_FineArtsBFAPaintingThesisExhibition_MP-22.jpg\" alt=\"Mondays at Pratt Institute: Weekly Openings of Work by Graduating Artists\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gh-card-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"gh-card-title is-title\">Mondays at Pratt Institute: Weekly Openings of Work by Graduating Artists<\/h3>\n<p class=\"gh-card-excerpt is-body\">Free and open to the public, Pratt Shows celebrate the school\u2019s graduating students. MFA and BFA work is on view this spring in Brooklyn, New York.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"gh-card-meta\"><span class=\"gh-card-author\">Pratt Institute<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/ai-weiwei-on-censorship\/&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;&#8221;] Daily Newsletter Ai Weiwei on Censorship A thought-provoking book by the dissident artist, Trump&#8217;s latest offensive meme, and artist-activist Celeste Dupuy-Spencer dies at 46. Hyperallergic April 14, 2026\u2014 4 min read After posting memes depicting him as a Roman warrior, king, and pontiff, Trump decided to upgrade himself to the rare status [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,69],"class_list":["post-1881798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-hyperallergic-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1881798","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1881798"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1881798\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1881798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1881798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1881798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}